Optimization of Compositions for Wear Rate of Cashew Nut Shells Based Automobile Brake Pads Composites

Abstract

This paper presents an alternative composite formulation for the production of automobile brake pads that is free from the carcinogenic concerns associated with the commercial ones due its asbestos composites. Cashew Nut Shells(CNS) and Nigerian Gum Arabic(NGA) binder are agro waste material respectively used as the frictional or base or reinforcement material instead of asbestos often used and the organic binder replacing the equally toxic epoxy or phenolic binder often used. Other functional additives included in the mix are the Steel Dust (SD), Silicon Carbide (SC) and Graphite (G). L27 3 5 orthogonal arrays of twenty seven (27) formulations designed for via Taguchi method and the composites were produced using compression moulding and particles sieve size was 100µm.The wear rate properties of most of the composites compare favourably with 3.80gm/m of the commercial brake pads and other research outputs while Signal to Noise ratio and Main Effect Plots were used to optimize the compositions for optimal composition. The optimal compositions in grams of Cashew Nut Shells (CNS), Steel Dust (SD), Graphite (G) Silicon Carbide (SC) and Nigerian Gum Arabic (NGA) were 82.5, 22.5, 7.5, 22.5 and 30 respectively.